Among the Leaves
by SharpeBB
Summary: In her favourite spot, Rika is trying to sort out why she's been upset recently.


After I finished rewatching Tamers, I just felt a need to write something. Probably won't be a regular thing. But who knows. It was fun to write. And it feels appropriate to put it out with my other works I'm releasing for my FanFic Anniversary. :P Anyway, as always, let me know what you think!

Still don't own Digimon. Kinda sucks.

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><p>Rika surveyed the park from a high tree branch. Her mother often criticised her habit of climbing trees, especially at the age of sixteen, but Rika didn't care. It was a way of relaxing. To literally get above everything always gave her a different perspective. It calmed her down and allowed her to examine things while feeling separated from the world.<p>

And today, Rika felt that she really needed a break from the world. She was feeling a mental exhaustion that was almost on par with the aftermath of the battle with the D-Reaper and losing Renamon. Everything required an almost herculean effort. And that bothered Rika considering that things in her life were, for the most part, very good.

She was doing well at school, she was getting along with her mother, and was seeing her father more often. She had some of the best friends in the world, and she had Renamon back in her life. It was true that Renamon had been able to return to the real world just a couple of months after she and the other digimon were forced to leave, but having her partner in her life would always be a relief for Rika.

Despite all of this though, Rika was still feeling a large amount of emotional stress. And she knew the two sources of her problems.

First, there were the dreams. A few months ago, she had started having very disturbing and vivid dreams. They were all about how Rika acted when she first became a tamer. She relived battle after battle in her sleep. When she woke up each morning, she felt a revulsion in her stomach at the girl she watched while she slept. Revulsion at the girl she used to be.

She was confident that the dreams would stop eventually though. Rika was strong. She wasn't going to let her subconscious drive her into a depression. While it may take a long time, she would get over how she felt. She had Renamon. And she had her friends. She knew the situation would be resolved.

The second situation, she wasn't as sure about.

She let out a sigh. Having a boy problem seemed so typical. Rika was used to guys being interested in her. Ryo alone flirted and made enough advances for three people. And she appreciated that boys were interested in her. She was still a teenager after all, and the interest kept her self-esteem from dropping. She had heard stories of what girls and boys had done because they felt unattractive and unwanted. And as much as she wished no one felt that way, Rika did have to shamefully admit that she was glad that interest from the opposite sex kept her from plummeting into a depression.

But Rika's problem wasn't caused from how boys felt about her. It was caused by how she felt about boys. Or more specifically, one boy.

She had tried her best not to fall for him. They were extremely close and any form of relationship could potentially wreck their friendship. Besides, everyone knew his heart was already spoken for. But after years of fighting, Rika finally had to acknowledge that she did feel something for him.

She felt something for Takato.

"I knew teaming up with him and Henry would come back to bite me in the ass," she sighed.

"And how exactly has it bitten you in the ass?" asked a voice from below.

Rika jumped a little, startled that there was someone who had been listening to her. She looked down to see Takato himself, giving her a small smirk from the ground.

"Well obviously by the fact that I can't get a moment's peace without someone interrupting me," Rika joked, as she waved Takato up.

The boy rolled his eyes and quickly began climbing the tree. Rika smiled, thinking about how many times she had watched him climb a tree to join her. He had grown quite agile doing it, but he wasn't always like that. The first time he tried, it took him a few dozen attempts to get up to her. He fell so spectacularly on one try that he literally bounced off the ground. Even though she had been concerned about him, Rika had laughed quite hard when it happened.

"You're thinking about that one fall aren't you?" Takato asked as he reached the branch she was on and noticed she was grinning slightly.

"Maybe," Rika answered coyly.

"Jeez, you're never going to let me live that down are you?"

"Probably not," the girl smiled.

Takato just rolled his eyes. He made himself comfortable on the branch, or as comfortable as he could be, before turning to his friend.

"Well as long as I can make you smile, then I guess I can't complain."

Rika rolled her eyes and lightly punched Takato in the arm.

"So what's going on?" she asked.

"I was going to ask you the same thing. I was just out for a walk and I saw a patch of orange in a sea of green. So I wanted to see what was wrong with my friend."

"Okay two questions. A, how did you know it was me? B, why do you think there's something wrong?"

"A, When I see one of the most important people in my life, I know. B, you're one of the most important people in my life. I know you. I know when you're in a tree, then odds are something's bugging you."

Takato gave Rika a small smile which she couldn't help but return.

"You better not be going around telling people that I get emotional. Or worse, that you actually think you know me as well as you think you do."

Takato just chuckled and shook his head. After being friends with Rika for four years, he knew when she was really annoyed, and when she was just joking. In fact he expected that he may be the only one who could always tell.

"So really, what's up?"

Rika sighed, "I haven't been sleeping well lately. I've been having some rather unpleasant dreams."

"Like what? Nightmares?" Takato asked, his voice full of concern.

"No not nightmares. We lived a real nightmare, so I don't think anything I dream could be that bad."

"What kind of dreams then?"

"They're memories really. But it's nothing. It'll pass."

"Rika..."

Rika looked at Takato and knew that from his expression that he wasn't going to let her get away with not telling him what was wrong. The fact that he cared so much was one of the reasons she had such strong feelings for him.

"I've been dreaming about when I first became a tamer. Before I met you and Henry. When I was ruthless. When I was just such a bad person. Only focused on winning. I didn't even care enough about Renamon."

Her voice started to quiver. Takato gently and reassuringly squeezed her knee. She took a deep breath and continued.

"I just hate who I was back then. I hate what I was. I was basically a murderer. Just wanting to be the best and not caring who stood in my way. I mean, I wanted to even hurt you. And I just can't believe that I ever wanted to do that."

Rika shuddered as a chill ran down her spine.

"I was just so repulsive on so many ways," she whispered.

Takato wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him.

"Don't say that," he told her quietly, "Don't even think that."

"But it's true Takato."

"It is possibly the least true thing I've ever head you say."

"Tak-"

"No Rika," he interrupted, "It's not true. You were young. You didn't know what the truth was. It was a mistake anyone could have made."

"You and Henry didn't."

"Henry and I had different starts as tamers. You became a tamer because you were a fighter. It was what you knew. And you can't be blamed for thinking the digimon weren't real. You had lived your whole life thinking they were fake. We all did for a while."

"But then Renamon came to me."

"And you continued to make the mistake of thinking they weren't real. Which is okay. Everyone's allowed to make them. Especially kids. What matters is that you realised your mistake and fixed it."

"I still had Renamon kill a lot of digimon," Rika said shamefully.

"That doesn't make you a murderer. You would have had to fight the digimon anyway. We have a duty to defend the world. Henry and I fought Wild Ones. Does that make us murders?"

"Your motivation was different than mine."

"Your motivation changed," Takato told her calmly, "I promise you Rika, you were never a murderer. A misguided kid, sure. But not a murderer."

"How do you know?"

"Because I almost became a murderer myself. When we fought Beelzemon. When I forced Guilmon to digivolve into Megidramon. I didn't just want to beat him. I wanted to kill him. I wanted him to hurt. I wanted him to suffer a thousand times more than he had made Jeri and the rest of us suffer."

Rika turned to look at Takato, and gazed into his eyes. She couldn't help but smile at his effort to comfort her.

"You were just a kid. You weren't repulsive. You weren't a murder. You were never like that. And you never will be," Takato finished.

Rika turned her body and wrapped her arms around him.

"Thanks Takato," she whispered in his ear.

"Any time. You know that," he reassured her as he hugged her back.

They stayed in their embrace for a few moments before pulling apart. They were lucky that after spending a lot of times in trees, they had gotten used to moving around without falling off.

"I knew I would get over it eventually you know," Rika said, "I mean, you didn't have to help me out."

"I know that. I know if anyone can overcome something alone, it's you. But that doesn't mean I'm not going to help," Takato told her.

"And I've learned that it's pointless to try and stop you, so I may as well just let it happen," Rika laughed.

Takato laughed with her for a minute, happy that his friend was feeling better.

"So were dreams the only reason you were up in the tree? Or is there something else you want to talk about?"

Rika blushed and bit her lip. She turned away from Takato, not wanting to reveal too much.

"There is something else," Takato realised, "Is it serious?"

"Well, it depends on how you want to look at it," Rika answered evasively, "It certainly would be important to some people."

"Hmm, I think I know what you're talking about," Takato said slowly.

"Y-you do?" Rika asked, a feeling of terror brewing in her heart.

"You're worried about going to the dance next without a date, even though guys keep asking you."

Rika let out a laugh, feeling a sense of relief.

"Yeah, that's it Takato. I'm worried about what all the boys I reject are going to think."

"I knew it," Takato laughed.

"I mean obviously I just keep turning down guys because I'm being a hopeless romantic and just waiting for the right person to ask me," Rika said in a sarcastic tone. Even though she knew it was actually the truth.

"And Ryo's still not the right guy?" Takato asked.

"Oh god no. What are you doing, trying to be his wingman?"

"No, just teasing. Besides, if you actually did say yes to Ryo, I would lose my bet to Henry."

"Henry thinks that I'll eventually fall for Ryo?" Rika asked.

"Not so much that you'll fall for Ryo, as much as he thinks eventually his persistence will wear you down. I told him that's never gonna happen."

"Well I appreciate your faith in me Takato," Rika smiled.

Takato chuckled slightly, "So you're going to the dance alone?"

"Looks that way."

"Well then we can be wall flowers together," Takato said happily.

"Ye- Wait, you're not taking Jeri to the dance?" Rika questioned him in surprise.

"Nope. Wasn't planning on it," the boy shrugged.

Rika rolled her eyes, "You know Takato, things aren't just magically going to happen with Jeri unless you make a move."

"I'm aware of that."

"Then get off your ass and do something!" Rika scorned. She wanted her friends to be happy, but her subconscious was screaming at her to keep quiet.

"Who says I want to get off my ass and do something?" Takato asked.

Rika looked at him, confused, "Huh?"

"I'm not interested in Jeri," Takato told her, a note of amusement in his voice.

"Bu- I- Yes you are!" Rika stammered.

"No Rika, I'm not," Takato chuckled.

Rika just stared at Takato, her mind completely blank. He gave her a small, half smile before shaking his head slightly.

"I know that when we met, I was obviously in to her. I mean I had had a crush on her for years. But after our adventures started, things started to change. While I still cared for her, there were other people I cared for. Guilmon, Henry, you… The world got a lot bigger. And I had to take a break from thinking about a love life. And it took a while for me to start thinking about it again. And when I did, I guess I had just moved on. When I thought about dating, Jeri just wasn't on my list."

"But you're always so nice to her," Rika said.

"I'm nice to everyone," Takato countered.

Rika opened her mouth to say something, but couldn't think of anything. She closed her mouth and examined Takato. She was using all her might to resist leaning over and kissing him.

It would make sense to do it. They were alone. They were talking in a tree, something that was just theirs. He had told her that he was thinking about having a love life, and that he wasn't interested in Jeri.

But as much as she hated to admit it, kissing him would be wrong.

"So you and I will be going stag then," Rika finally sighed.

"Yup."

"Two of the most pursued kids in the school," she joked.

"I don't know about 'two'."

"Oh come on, you're telling me you haven't noticed how many girls check you out?"

"They're just confused about the goggles," Takato smiled.

"No everyone's over that now," Rika told him, "You'll see. You're going to have girls lining up to dance with you."

"Well if that's true, then I'm going to be making a lot of girls unhappy."

"Yes you will."

"Then you'll have to teach me how you fend off all the boys," Takato teased.

Rika rolled her eyes, "I glare at them til they back off. Don't think that'll work with you. Might give you a 'sexy brooding' kinda look."

"Well then once I get to the dance, I'll just have to pick one girl and spend the whole night dancing with her."

"How is that different from asking a girl beforehand?" Rika asked, while feeling her heart ache slightly.

"Because if I do it at the dance and I get turned down, then I can just move on quickly, versus the fear of being turned down before hand and being embarrassed about going to the dance and seeing the girl with someone else."

Rika stared at Takato.

"That might be one of the dumbest explanations I've ever heard."

"Well, it's what I'm going with," Takato shrugged.

Rika giggled before continuing, "So, do you have anyone that you'd like to dance with?"

"Yeah, I do."

Rika's stomach sank.

"I'm kinda worried she'll say 'no' though. It would cause some problems."

"Why?"

"It just would," Takato sighed.

"Who are you thinking of asking that would cause problems?" Rika asked.

Takato turned to her. Their eyes met and Rika felt her heart flutter slightly. He gave her a big wide smile, causing her to blush slightly.

"I'm not telling you," he said softly, "That would ruin the surprise."

"Why would I care about it being a surprise?" Rika asked softly, hope suddenly brewing inside her.

Takato's smiled widened.

"Maybe you won't. But if I know you, then you'll care just a little bit."

Rika smiled at these words.

"You know I hate surprises Takato. You won't give me a hint?"

"I dunno," Takato teased, dragging out the word, looking out over the park.

"Takato…"

He was quiet for a minute, still smiling as he looked over the grass before him. After what felt like an eternity to Rika, he returned his gaze to her.

"I guess…"

"You guess what."

Takato looked into Rika's eyes for a few more seconds before giving a small, contented sigh.

"I guess I could give you a hint," he finished, while he gently slipped his fingers between hers.

Rika stared at the interlocking fingers in shock. She couldn't believe what was happening. When she looked back at Takato, she bit her lip and blushed. Takato's smile widened and he gave her a small wink.

She smiled back at this, and squeezed his hand. Once again the urge to lean over and kiss him started to overwhelm her. But again, she repressed it.

She scooted closer to Takato and rested her head on his shoulder. For now, this was all she needed. Just time being in his company, in a spot the two of them all enjoyed together.

There would be time for everything else later.


End file.
